The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-12-15
STEVENS COUNTY, MINI.

In 1885 Thomas ThOmasson prepared
for the old settlers meeting paper
containing bits of recollection con.
corning the first settling in Stevens
county. These old time recollections
cannot but be of exceeding interest
to all residents of the county, and
particularly to the old settlers, there
fore, while the limit of space pre-.
vents the publication of the paper in
full we reproduce many of its refer.
enceS here:
'To some," says Mr.. Thomasson, it
nay seem to be of little or no con-
sequence who were the first to come,
but those who have felt the lonelines
Of the far west and who every day used
10 espy the solitary prairie and scru-
.inlze the horizon for prairie schoon.
ars or other signs of newcomers.
those only can realize what value or
Specification one year, or even one
month ora weeks time is to the
lonely frontier settler.
On the geographical map of the
State, this county was at first an en-
tirely different looking county from
what it is to day. The county of
Stevens, as first established in 1866
was long and narrow, and consisted of
Is townships situated as follows:
The south east corner of the county
was at the south east corner of the
town of Framnas, the south west
corner. at the south west corner of the
town of Pepperton, 6 townships wide)
and run 6 townships north to the pres
ent north boundary--line of Grant
county; the balance of the county,
lying south from the township-line
running through the village of Morris
formed a part Of what was then
known as the Lac Qual Parle county.
In 1868 the county was reestablished
to its present shape. The name was
given as compliment to ol.Stevens.
Of Minneapolis, a man of pioneer
fame in the state.
The first settlers came in the fol.
lowing order:
IS66-Charlcs Olson, Lewis l.. Heg.
land. Hans Gudvangen, Christian
jacobson, Peter Bjork, Thomas
Austinson Hagen, Mons. johnson and
John Whipple, who the following
spring took charge of the Gadgel
Station, that was then located here
by Henry Gadger.
iS67-Lars H. Hansee, Hans Han.
see, Erick GRANDSON, Thomas Thomas.
son, Lewis Baker, Ole Mikkelson, land
Phillip Frisby and family, in the fall.
who came to take chsrge of the afore.
said Station.
1S68-Jacob Baker, Ole Melland,
Henry Gadger. William Perry, Henry
Foss, Warner & Bros. Matt Diedrich
and Abraham Lee, Henry Baldwin,
r. NJ. Richardson and John Folsom.
lS89-Wm. McPerson, John .Har.
rington. Albert Movins, Christian
Gaarder. Herman Winter, j. D. Good
John Backins, Peter Peterson.
George Hanson and Archibald
Young;
1870-Shalmark ST., Herman Zahl
and brothers, o. G. Hanson, VIM.
Wumsch Michael Calvin and others.
The frontier line was that year adj
vanced to the lakes and groves neal
Donnelly and Frog Lake, and the
settlers then came in too numerous to
be mentioned here. The first post
office, ssScandia." named and kept By
Thomas Thomasson, was established
December 3rd, 1867. The first general
election was held at Gadger's -Station,
1869, about 25 legal voters enrolled
The first legally surveyed road. Ia
state road now vacated) from Glen.
wood via. Gadgers Station to Browns
Valley. The first store was kept by